Talk in Dover to focus on stone walls

Wednesday

Apr 18, 2018 at 12:01 AM

Author, teacher, tradesman and lifelong Hopkinton, N.H., resident Kevin Gardner will come to Dover on Wednesday, April 25, to talk about the iconic stone walls that cover thousands of miles of the New England countryside.

Editor’s Note: The following was submitted by the Chicatabot Garden Club.

Author, teacher, tradesman and lifelong Hopkinton, N.H., resident Kevin Gardner will come to Dover on Wednesday, April 25, to talk about the iconic stone walls that cover thousands of miles of the New England countryside. He will explain how and why New England came to acquire so many of its stone walls, the ways in which they and other dry stone structures were built, how their styles emerged and changed over time and their significance to the famous New England landscape.

Other topics may include differences in approach between historical and contemporary wall-builders; a discussion of restoration tips and techniques; and information about design, acquisition of materials, preservation and analysis. There is always plenty of time left for answers to questions and specific problems from the audience.

Gardner has been a stone wall builder for 40 years, and is the author of “The Granite Kiss: Traditions and Techniques of Building New England Stone Walls,” as well as poetry, songs and essays. For 25 years, he was an award-winning performance critic, feature writer and producer for New Hampshire Public Radio. He’s also a longtime professional actor, director and teacher of theater. His program, therefore, promises to be both entertaining and informative.

This talk is jointly sponsored by the Chicatabot Garden Club and Dover Historical Society. Not only will the topic be of interest to gardeners and historians, it will also appeal to those who care about environmental conservation, historic landscape preservation, and creative landscape design for today’s homes and parklands.

During the course of his program, Gardner occupies himself building a miniature wall or walls on a tabletop, using tiny stones from a 5-gallon bucket. Since the publication of his book he has presented his program at dozens of historical societies, bookstores and town libraries all over New England. He is expected to bring copies of his book for sale.

The program will take place in the Community Room of the Dover Town Library, Lower Level. Doors will open for refreshments at 7 p.m. and the program will begin at 7:30 p.m. All are invited to attend; there is no charge for admission.